Transnational radio broadcasting

No other medium has challenged, played around, and overpassed national borders quite like radio broadcasting has. It is, without a doubt, a transnational medium by nature, notably when considering that borders have indeed limited effects on stopping radio waves from reaching a nearby country. This does not mean, however, that broadcasting simply ignored borders: they played a crucial role for stations, which worked with them throughout history. The verb “to broadcast” reflects the undefined scattering of information on radio waves and comes from the farmer’s sowing technique by casting seeds broadly. This metaphor is essential to capture the essence of the medium, especially in the context of this chapter, which will particularly look at the case of France.